Weekend Round Up March 28, 2019

The Blossom Kite Festival is a highlight of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Courtesy NCBF.

Plan to be outdoors this Saturday, at the Blossom Kite Festival on the grounds of the Washington Monument and at the festive launch of Phase II of the Wharf development on the Southwest waterfront. Sunday is Japan Day in Arlington and special-interest walking tours will wend their way through Georgetown and Congressional Cemetery. For more turn-of-the-month events, visit The Georgetowner’s online calendar.

Arts on the Horizon: ‘Beep Beep’

In Rex Daugherty’s show, for children ages 2 to 10, an ice cream truck starts to fall apart and the drivers have to fix it before everything melts. This highly physical comedy features live percussion and zany shenanigans. Performances at Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE, are: Friday, March 29, at 10 a.m.; Saturday, March 30, at 9:30 and 11 a.m.; and Sunday, March 31, at 10 and 11:30 a.m. Tickets are $12. For details, visit atlasarts.org or call 202-399-7993.

Cello and Piano at Austrian Embassy

As part of the Embassy Series, cellist Julian Schwarz and pianist Marika Bournaki will perform at the Embassy of Austria, 3524 International Court NW, on Friday, March 29, at 7:30 p.m. The program, “A Night in Vienna,” includes works by Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Webern and Korngold. Tickets are $75. For details, visit embassyseries.org.

Blossom Kite Festival

The eighth annual Blossom Kite Festival — on Saturday, March 30, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Washington Monument, Constitution Avenue and 15th Street SW — showcases the creativity of kite makers and the skill of fliers in competitions, demonstrations, Rokkaku (fighting kite) battles and the Hot Tricks Showdown. Participants can bring their own kites or purchase them and children can make a kite at an activity station while supplies last. Admission is free. For details, visit nationalcherryblossomfestival.org.

Glen Echo Rentals Open House

On Saturday, March 30, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., those planning a wedding, bat or bar mitzvah, gala, fundraiser, corporate event or birthday party can learn about venues at Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Boulevard in Glen Echo, Maryland. Attendees can also view table settings in the Bumper Car Pavilion, sample caterers’ specialties and meet vendors in the Spanish Ballroom. Admission is free with RSVP. For details, visit glenechopark.org.

Barbour Georgetown Weather Comfort Celebration

Visitors to outerwear store Barbour Georgetown, 3221 M St. NW, on Saturday, March 30, from noon to 3 p.m. can shop the collection, enjoy British treats and snacks and receive a free umbrella with purchase. For details, visit the store’s Facebook page or call 202-298-6032.

Wharf Phase II Kick Off Celebration

On Saturday, March 30, from 1 to 3 p.m., Mayor Muriel Bowser, Deputy Mayor Brian Kenner and Ward 6 Council member Charles Allen will usher in the next phase of the Wharf development, 600 Water St. SW, with a free community celebration. The event will feature live music from Pebble 2 Pearl and family-friendly activities, including a “truck touch” for kids. For details, visit eventbrite.com.

John Russell Pope Awards

Also on Saturday, March 30, at the Carnegie Institution for Science, 1530 P St. NW, the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art Washington Mid Atlantic Chapter will present its 2019 John Russell Pope Awards, celebrating excellence in classical architecture, interior design, urban design and landscape architecture. The event, from 6:30 to 10 p.m., also includes cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and dessert. Tickets are $200. For details, visit eventbrite.com.

Ananya Dance Theatre at Dance Place

On Saturday, March 30, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 31, at 7 p.m., Ananya Dance Theatre, a contemporary Indian dance ensemble of women artists of color, will perform works that link women’s stories with movement to invoke broader questions about social justice. Tickets for the performances, at Dance Place, 3225 8th St. NE, are $30, $25 for seniors and artists and $15 for students and children. For details, visit danceplace.org or call 202-269-1600.

Japan Day 2019

On Sunday, March 31, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Arlington Career Center, 816 South Walter Reed Drive in Arlington, Virginia, will host a free day of Japanese food, culture and traditions. After the inauguration of a U.S.-Japan friendship garden, celebrating the new friendship between the Career Center and the Tokyo Metropolitan Engei High School, the event will feature an Okinawan drum and dance show, Sailor Moon dancers, demonstrations, art activities and information on travel, cultural exchange and language-learning opportunities. For details, visit eventbrite.com.

Wild Women of Georgetown Tour

This name-your-own-price women’s history walking tour — on Sunday, March 31, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. — is offered by A Tour Of Her Own and DC By Foot in celebration of Women’s History Month. Proceeds benefit the National Women’s Party at the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument. Booking fee is $3. Meeting location supplied with confirmation. For details, visit freetoursbyfoot.com.

Wine and Stories at Congressional Cemetery

On Sunday, March 31, from 5 to 7 p.m., participants in this Atlas Obscura Society D.C. event will sip wine in the vault in Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E St. SE, where Dolley Madison had lain, then take one of two mile-long walking tours: “LGBT Icons” or “Inventors and Innovators.” Tickets (advance purchase only) are $36, including two drink tickets and light snacks. For details, visit eventbrite.com.

Direct Current: ‘Where We Lost Our Shadows’

The U.S. premiere of this video oratorio documenting the experience of refugees in Germany, created by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Du Yun and Palestinian videographer Khaled Jarrar, will take place on Sunday, March 31, at 5 p.m. in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. Joseph Young will conduct the Peabody Modern Orchestra with vocalists Helga Davis and Ali Sethi and percussionist Shayna Dunkelman. Tickets are $29. For details, visit kennedy-center.org or call 202-467-4600.